1. JUST A JERSEY GIRL

When viewers first metTeresa Giudice on The Real Housewives of New Jersey in March 2009, she was described as Dina and Caroline Manzo's friend who loved to shop, get spa treatments and spend time at the Jersey Shore with her three young daughters and husband, Joe, who owned a successful construction business. They lived in a brand-new, $1.7 million 10,000-sq.-ft. mansion, and the pregnant mom soon gained a reputation as a big spender (dropping more than $120,000 on furniture for a single room). But that October, the couple filed for bankruptcy, claiming they were a staggering $10.98 million in debt.